Column

  1. Math

    Solving Yahtzee

    Sometimes described as poker with dice, Yahtzee is an immensely popular game. Its manufacturer, Hasbro, claims that as many as 100 million people worldwide play the game regularly. Yahtzee involves rolling five dice with the aim of obtaining favorable scoring combinations. For example, rolling five of a kind scores 50 points, whereas rolling three of […]

    By Ivars Peterson
  2. Math

    Scrambled Grids

    Amazingly simple mathematical operations can lead to intriguingly complex results. Consider, for instance, the iterative geometric process of creating flaky pastry dough. Flatten and stretch the dough, then fold it over on top of itself. Do it again and again and again. Repeating the pair of operations–stretch and fold–just 10 times produces 1,024 layers; 20 […]

    By Ivars Peterson
  3. Math

    Goldbach’s Prime Pairs

    Like the elements in chemistry, prime numbers serve as building blocks in the mathematics of whole numbers.